Portable foldable enclosure



7, 1957 A. J. WIEBER PORTABLE FOLDABLE ENCLOSURE Filed Nov; 4, 1954 United States This invention relates to enclosures, and more particularly to enclosures which are foldable and portable.

A principal object of the present invention lies in the provision of a light weight, portable, foldable enclosure which may be conveniently transported from place to place, may be rapidly set up for occupancy, and in addition, provides a convenient and desirable enclosure for protection from the elements.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a portable, light weight, foldable enclosure having a foldable base above which the pliant material is supported and thus provides a smooth surface which protects the occupants against dampness and wild creatures.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a portable, light weight, foldable enclosure having a sectional base hingedly united and supporting foldable ribs tiltable from an operative position to an inoperative position wherein the base and ribs may be folded to form a convenient carrying case within which the pliant.

covering material may be placed.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a portable, light weight, foldable enclosure having substantially arched foldable ribs hingedly secured to the base and disposed in such position that when the ribs are in their perpendicular operative position, they are supported by the base and a ridgepole releasably connected between the foldable ribs, forms a frame to support the enclosure over which frame a pliant covering material may be applied.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide an enclosure of the type described, which is formed of a minimum number of parts assembled with facility, and is inexpensive to manufacture, producing an assembled device due to its simplicity of construction which is not liable to become inoperative.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description. In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts,

Figure 1 is a skeletonized perspective view of the improved enclosure showing the pliant material covering by means of broken lines;

Figure 2 is a partially folded perspective view of the enclosure skeleton;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the releasable connection between the ridgepole and a cooperating rib;

Figure 4 is a vertical fragmentary cross section upon an enlarged scale taken substantially at the plane of line 4-4 of Figure l;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective View of one end of the ridgepole; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical cross section at the plane of line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing, which it will be understood is provided for illustration only and atom not for means of limiting the scope of the appended claims, I disclose a portable, light weight, foldable enclosure comprising a base 10 which is planar when in its normal operative position as disclosed in Figure 1, and comprises two sections 1011 and 1012 which are each substantially rectangular in plan, and are preferably formed from a relatively stifi material which is impervious to moisture. I have found that the use of marine type plywood is very satisfactory because of its physical strength and water repellent characteristics. Each section, 10a and 10b, is provided on its three marginal edges with upstanding walls 11, and when considered as a unit, the base is seen to have side walls 11a and end walls 11b; the end walls 11b being interrupted midway their length at the juncture of the base sections 10a and 10b.

Hinges 12 are shown to be secured to the upper edge faces of the end walls 11b at their junctures, and hingedly unite the base sections for folding movement toward and away from each other, and thereby adapt the base to be positioned in its operative position wherein the sections 10a and 1% are alternately disposed in an operative common plane and in an inoperative position wherein the sections are juxtaposed with relation to each other.

If desired, on their outside faces the side walls 11a may be provided with a conventional hand grip 13 similar to the corresponding fixture of a conventional handbag or suitcase. Snap fasteners 14 are provided on the outer faces of the walls 11a and 11b for the purposes hereinafter described.

Hinges 12, being located on the edges of the end walls 11b, allow the meeting edges of the base sections 10a and 10b, and the cooperating ends of the end walls 11b, to constitute abutment stops to prevent movement of the base 10 beyond its plane or operative position.

A number of ribs 15, here disclosed as being two, one at each end of the base 10, are pivotally connected at 16 to the side walls 11a at spaced parallel axes for vertical tilting movement from an operative position perpendicular with relation to the plane of the base 10 as shown in Figure 1, to an inoperative position wherein the ribs 15 are disposed substantially parallel to the plane of the base 10.

Inspection of Figure 4 will reveal that the lower ends of the arched shaped ribs 15 are bent inwardly to provide on each leg 15: a heel at 17 which bears against the adjacent portion of end wall 11b and constitutes an abutment stop to limit outward tilting movement of the ribs 15 beyond the perpendicular operative position shown in Figure l of the drawing.

At their upper ends, the legs 15a are bent toward the companion leg 15a to provide angular portions 15b which meet in an apex at 150, each companion pair thus forming a substantially arched rib 15. It will be noted that the ribs 15 midway their lengths are provided with hinges 18 having their axes disposed parallel to the height or plane of its companion rib 15, thus providing means for folding each rib upon itself. When the ribs are disposed in their operative positions as seen in Figure 1, the axes of their hinges are perpendicular to the plane of the base 10. However, when the ribs are tilted to their inoperative positions, substantially parallel to the plane of the base 10, the axes of the hinges 18 are disposed substantially at the axis common to the hinges 12. It will thus be seen that when the ribs 15 are in the inoperative position, the base sections 10a and 10b may be folded to the juxtaposition wherein the base 10 constitutes a case for the several parts of the enclosure.

To provide means for supporting the ribs in their operative positions, I employ a bracing ridgepole 19 provided at its ends with radially extending semi-cylindrical saddles 20 which are disposed at exact radial positions so, as to extend parallel with the portions b of the ribs 15. It will be understood that a single saddle on each end will sufiice if desired. The saddles 20 are provided with a plug 21 which is pressed into the hollow end of the ridgepole 19, and by means of the press fit. are properly and immovably positioned, Each saddle is provided with an aperture 22 which is axially parallel to the axis of the ridgepole, 19 and is adapted-to. receive the threaded end of a bolt 23 carried by the bent portions 15]) of each rib 15, and wing nuts 24 are employed to releasably secure the ridgepole 19 as a brace for the ribs 15.

Thus far a portable, light weight, foldable skeletonw has been described, and over this, skeleton tocomplete the enclosure I provide a pre-formed pliant tent-like structure 25 which is preferably made of waterproof fabric and is shaped to fit over the skeleton form of the enclosure. About its bottom edge the tent isprovided with conventional portions 14a of the snap fasteners which are located to cooperate with the fasteners 14 on 'the base. for the purpose of securing the tent '25 in covering, relation to the skeleton. However, it willbe understood that any conventional means of releasably securingthe lower edge of the tent to the base 10 may be employed.

It will also be noted that the tent is provided with. an access opening 25a which is of the conventional flap. construction, so that the enclosure may have convenient means for entering and leaving'at will.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A portable, light weight, foldable enclosure. comprising a planar base having two sections; base section hinging means hingedly uniting said sections midway the width of the base and manually foldable to an operative position wherein the sections are disposed in a common plane, and to an inoperative position wherein the sections are juxtaposed relative to each other and form a case; ribs pivotally connected at the marginal edges of said base for selective tilting movement about axes disposed at right angles to the axis of said base section hinging means to an inoperative position parallel to the plane of said base and an operative position substantially perpendicular thereto; said ribs being hingedly connected midway their lengths for folding movement at the axis, of said base section hinging means when said ribs are in the inoperative position; a removable ridgepole releasably secured to said ribs midway their lengths and supporting said ribs in the operative position; and a pliant material supported by said ribs and ridgepole when inrthe operative position and forming an enclosure.

2. A portable, light weight, foldable enclosure comprising a planar base having'two sections, means hingedly 4 uniting the sections midway the width of the base; upstanding walls on three marginal edges of said base sections and together forming an endless wall on the marginal edges of said base when in the operative position wherein the sections are disposed in a common plane; substantially arched ribs having their ends bent inwardly and pivotally connected to said wall on spaced parallel axes and tiltable to an inoperative position parallel to the plane of said base and an operative position substantially perpendicular thereto; said ribs being hinged midway their length for folding When in the inoperative position at substantially the axis of the hinge means of said base; a removable ridgepole brace bar releasably secured to the ribs for supporting said ribs in their operative position; and a pliant material supported by said ribs and ridgepole when in the operative position and forming an enclosure 3. A portable, light weight, foldable enclosure comprising a planar base having two sections; means hingedly uniting the sections midway the width of the base; upstanding walls on three marginal edges of each said base section and together forming an endless wall on the marginal edges of said base when in the operative position wherein the sections are disposed in a common plane and manually foldable to an inoperative position wherein the sections are juxtaposed relative to each other and form a case; substantially arched ribs having their lower ends bent inwardly and pivotally connected to the upstanding walls on spaced axes disposed at right angles to the axis of said hinge means of said base; said legs being selectively foldable to an inoperative position parallel to the plane of said base and an operative position substantially perpendicular thereto; said end walls constituting stops against which the ribs hear when in the perpendicular position; a ridgepole having a saddle at each end provided with an aperture and complementary in shape to receive its respective rib; bolts carried by said ribs and extending through the apertures in said saddles; wing nuts on the bolts releasably securing the ridgepole to said ribs; said ridgepole constituting a brace for said ribs; said ribs being hingedly connected midway their lengths for folding movement at the axis of the said hinging means for said base when said ribs are in the inoperative position; and a pliant material supported by said ribs and UNITED STATES PATENTS Tuttle Aug. 1, 1922 Wayne July 13, 1954 

